


In Plain Sight

by EverAtYourSide



Series: Promptis Week 2018 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, At least he's got Noct, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Hurt/Comfort, I Got Your Back, I promise, M/M, Noctis spoiling Prompto, Please don't leave me, Poor Prompto, Promptis Week 2018, There will be fluff, to give him lots of lovin'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 01:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15013916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverAtYourSide/pseuds/EverAtYourSide
Summary: It seems like just another day at the Argentum household, until Prompto is attacked and left for dead. Was it just a random attack? Or a symptom of something more sinister?





	1. The Call

**Author's Note:**

> Promptis Week 2018 - Day 4: hurt/comfort | ~~Prompto joining the Crownsguard |~~  
>  ~~“Please don’t leave me.”~~  
>  I know this is a bit late, but battling a bad cold for the past week has kept me a bit behind schedule with getting up a lot of my stuff for Promptis Week, so apologies on that.
> 
> This fic is going to be divided into three parts, with the prompt for this chapter being Hurt/Comfort from Day 4 (Because who am I to resist some good ol' hurt/comfort with my boys? xD). I'll admit there's not a whole lot of comfort in this particular chapter, BUT I promise that there is some serious fluff/comfort coming in the two chapters that follow this one, so it technically works, right? ;D
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“911, What’s your emergency?”

“Uh, yeah… uhm, I’m pretty sure I just heard gunshots coming from my neighbor’s house… I don’t really talk to the family all that much, but they don’t really strike me as the gun touting kind of family. I’m not really sure what’s going on, but I thought it was worth a call.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll contact dispatch right away and have them send a cruiser over right away, just in case.”

“Thanks. Even though I don’t really know them, they seem like a nice family, so I’d hate it if anything happened to them.”

“Thank you for calling in, the cruiser should arrive momentarily. Would you like me to stay on the line until they get there?”

“No it’s fine, you don’t need to. I’m in my house right now, and it’s been pretty quiet since the sound of the original shots. I’m also pretty sure the kid that lives there just started training with the Crownsguard, so he was probably just practicing or something. Shit, yeah… that actually makes a lot of sense now that I think about it… I’m probably just overreacting.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sir. The officer is en route to your location now, they should be able to easily discern what happened.”

“O-okay. Thank you.”

* * *

“Have they confirmed that the house is secure?”

“Yeah, the police already canvased the entire house and found no sign of the suspected gunman. That’s as far as I know.” A tall, dark haired man replied as the two paramedics exited the ambulance which had just arrived at the house now completely blocked off by the Insomnian Police.

As the two approached the house, another man that they recognized as the Insomnian Police Chief exited through the front door.

“Glad you could make it boys, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem as though we’ll need you today.” The officer frowned as he glanced back towards the house. “We managed to secure the scene, but it’s a real mess in in there. Looks as though the entire family was executed by what we suspect was a single gunman. We believe that the parents were killed instantly, but it seems as though the son attempted to fight back.”

“Damn.” The taller paramedic sighed, “Can’t say we’ve responded to many calls out here, it’s usually a pretty quiet area. I hope this isn’t just the beginning on something bigger.”

“We can’t be sure of anything until we investigate this further, but I’ll keep you guys updat-” The chief started to say, before one of the other cops who had been processing the scene suddenly burst through the previously closed door and sprinted over towards where the chief and paramedics were gathered, clear panic plastered all over his face.

“What the hell is going on here, private?”

“We n-need to…  we need to hurry…! The kid…” The younger officer managed to gasp out, motioning frantically for the two paramedics to follow. “I think he’s still alive….!”

“What the hell do you mean the kid’s still alive??” The chief quickly demanded.

“Just what I said, sir.” The other officer quickly replied.

“Well, who the devil was it that declared he was dead??”

“I don’t know, sir! I believe it was one of the officers who responded to the 911 call!”

“Well, when I find out who it was, they better hope for their own sake that their idiocy doesn’t cost this kid his life.” The chief grunted angrily as all four Lucians practically sprinted back towards the house.

When they arrived inside the house, it wasn’t hard to guess where they needed to go. There was a crowd of officers surrounding the young teenager that they had mistakenly believed to be dead. If looks were anything to go by, he was certainly playing the part well enough.

The chief quickly demanded the officers disperse, so that the paramedics could do their job and attempt to help the kid before it really was too late. The paramedics attempted to see if they could rouse the kid, but as one would expect, he was completely unresponsive.

“His pulse is incredibly slow and weak, but it’s there. He won’t be alive for long though if we don’t get him to a hospital immediately.” The older paramedic noted as he started working to get the kid ready to load into the waiting ambulance. “Do we have any idea who he is? A name… job… grade… anything that might help identify him?”

The room remained unfortunately silent as the two paramedics were about to haul the young man out of the room; before the officer who had originally bounded out of the house to fetch the paramedics in the first place finally managed to find his voice again.

“I’ve never actually met him, and I don’t know his name,” He started out quietly, not wanting to say anything that could be incorrect or otherwise misleading; however, seeing as no-one else seemed to know anything, he might as well say _something_. “But my brother just started training to become part of the Crownsguard and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him there too. He’s usually talks with Prince Noctis after the training sessions finish, and from what I could tell, the two of them seem pretty close, so I guess there’s a good chance the two of them might be friends?”

“Good to know.” The chief nodded and the paramedics gave a quick nod of thanks as they secured the unconscious blonde to a backboard and hurriedly made their way back to the waiting ambulance. “We’ll look into that once we get back to the station.”

* * *

 

~~~A Short Time Earlier~~~

Normally to celebrate the upcoming weekend, Noct and Prompto would make a bee line for the Arcade and camp there until it closed. However, considering they had an extra day to relax this weekend because of one holiday or another, _and_ they had a big project due at the beginning of next week, both boys had made a pact to finish their projects tonight so that they could spend the rest of the weekend playing video games, watching movies and just all around goofing off like they usually did.

Noct had invited Prompto over to come work on the project at his apartment, but since Noct had some citadel stuff he had to take care of right after school, that meant that Prompto wouldn’t be able to come over till later in the evening.

It also didn’t help that Ignis tended to like to spend an unhealthy amount of time hovering around the two boys whenever homework was involved.

In the end, Prompto felt it would probably be a lot easier to go home, crank out the project without any distractions, and of course promised Noct he would text him the minute he finished.

Well, that _was_ the plan until he realized that his parents had invited some friends over for dinner.

So here Prompto was, hiding up in his room as he attempted to complete his big ‘History of Lucian Trade Routes’ Project, while his parents entertained downstairs.

“Prompto!!” he heard his mother’s voice call from downstairs, “Dinner’s just about ready! Why don’t you come down and help your father set the table??”

The blonde sighed loudly, he was barely half-way through the project and he knew for a fact that after dinner his parents would expect him to mingle with their guests, because that is what ‘proper’ sons do.

It looked like if he stood any chance of getting his project completed before he met up with Noct, he would either have to stay up really late tonight and/or get up ridiculously early tomorrow morning. OR… maybe he should just go ahead and accept the fact that there was a pretty good chance he probably wasn’t going to sleep at all tonight.

“Coming…!” Prompto called back as he closed his textbook, leaving his project splayed across his desk so he could easily start back up again once he finally managed to sneak back up to his room.

As Prompto finally made his way downstairs, the kitchen was a flurry of activity. He quickly sought out his father and they proceeded to quickly busy themselves in setting out all of the place settings on the large dining room table.

They had just about finished setting all the plates and proper silverware when they heard a loud, distinct knocking.

“Mom!” Prompto called, “Someone’s at the door!”

“Are you and your Father finished?” She called back.

“We’ve got like two placements left…!” He replied loudly.

There was short and soft conversation, before one of his mother’s friends emerged from the kitchen, “Don’t worry dear, I’ll get it.”

“Thank you, I’ll be there in just a moment…!” Prompto’s mother replied. “I just need to pull this out of the oven and get it cooling. Then, we’ll be just about ready to eat.”

Prompto finished setting his placements, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, when all of a sudden, he heard a loud bang coming from the direction his mother’s friend had just disappeared to.

“What the hell-” Was all that Prompto was able to get out before his both his parents suddenly went rigid.

Then, without warning, his father abruptly proceeded to sprint back towards the kitchen with a grim, yet determined look on his face, while his mother clutched the knife that had been in her hand and sprinted in the opposite direction, towards to the front door. The other Lucian, an older man whom Prompto assumed to be the husband of the woman who had offered to get the door quickly followed, obviously frantic to protect his wife.

Without even thinking, Prompto ran as fast as he could towards the front door, only to freeze in abject horror as he attempted to process the scene playing out before him.

Prompto’s attention was drawn first to the large, muscular man standing at the door brandishing a gun; and then towards to the crumpled form of his mother’s friend as her husband clutched her at her limp body. He could see the blood that continued to flow from the obvious wound, her husband’s pants and shit already slick with crimson liquid from clutching at her so desperately.

Prompto knew that if he wanted to protect his mother from the same fate as her friend, he needed to come up with a plan and fast.

 _No….!_ He thought frantically as the gunman’s focus shifted from the fallen woman, to his own mother.

There had to be something that he could do to distract him, even if it meant bringing the man’s attention squarely onto himself. As long as his mother was safe, wasn’t that all that mattered in the end?

Even if it was much earlier than he ever expected to use it, it seemed as though his Crownsguard training, as sparse as it had been, might be all that stood between saving everyone or being struck down right here and now.

But then again, all of the equipment and weapons that Prompto had practiced with were all locked away back at the Citadel, and he had no idea whether or not his parents actually kept weapons stashed anywhere even close to where he was right now.

The glint of determination that he had seen in the corner of his father’s eye as he had run off to who knew where made Prompto think that his father must have been running off for precisely that reason. So, if that was really the case, all he would have to do would be to hold this man off until his dad returned, right?

Even so, that still didn’t do anything to help his situation in the meanwhile. It was pretty easy to see that Prompto wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight with just his fists; and it didn’t take a genius to guess who would be the victor in that particular match up.

After all, it wasn’t like Prompto could just pull a gun out of thin- wait.

Now that he thought about it… hadn’t Noct given him access to his armiger practically the moment Prompto was accepted to be trained as member of the Crownsguard?

They had honestly done it as more of a joke so they could do really stupid shit, like pass notes in class and not get caught; but theoretically though, Prompto _should_ be able to pull out one of Noct’s weapons if he really wanted to, right?? It was the same idea as anything else he would guess, except he would probably just need to concentrate a bit more.

Hoping and praying to the Astrals harder and more fervently than he ever had in his entire life, Prompto tried his best to clear his mind despite the fear gripping him and the fact that every second that passed was another the gunman could use to his advantage. Prompto tried pictured the gun Noctis had shown him the day that he had given him access to the Armiger.

He remembered the weight of holding the smooth and intricately decorated barrel in his grasp and focused his thoughts on pulling the very same gun towards him, desperately willing the weapon to materialize within his grasp.

_Please, almighty six, if you have any shred of compassion, please find in yourself to grant me this one wish. I don’t want to be protected anymore… not by Noct, not by my parents… I want to be able to do the protecting for once in my life. Please… allow me to protect my mother… allow me the chance to be able to see Noct again._

When a few seconds passed in what felt like an eternity and Prompto didn’t feel the familiar pull of Noct’s magic flowing into his body as it summoned the object he so desperately desired, he was sure that it was over. He was sure he would die right then and there along with his mother, father and everyone else.

But then… by the grace of whatever astral had apparently heard his desperate and frantic pleas, he distinctly felt a large weight drop into his previously empty hand and there it was… the very same gun Noctis had shown him all those weeks ago… had he really… had he really managed to summon it? Prompto almost couldn’t believe his luck.

Sending a silent thank you and making a mental note to never again take the Astrals for granted, he wasted no time in pulling the gun up, before aiming it at the intruder and firing it just like he always did when practicing on the range at the citadel.

There was no mistaking the absolutely stunned look on his mother’s face as Prompto quickly emptied the entire magazine in the direction of the man who had been pointing his gun squarely in her direction.

Seeing as Prompto hadn’t told his parents about the whole having access to Noct’s armiger (considering he really wasn’t supposed to in the first place) her visceral reaction was nothing if not understandable. If he had been in his mom’s place, he would probably be shocked as all hell too.

However, before Prompto could even think to celebrate his victory, the man who had been all but practically stone still since Prompto had entered the room was apparently not as caught off guard by Prompto’s sudden attack as everyone else was.

While the look on the larger man’s face was certainly one of surprise, his body reacted and moved so fast that he was somehow able to dodge every single bullet Prompto had fired… all except for one.

The man’s movements were so quick, methodical and precise that Prompto barely had time to register the fact that the man had responded to Prompto’s surprise attack with his own, which then had Prompto practically falling all over himself in an desperate attempt to avoid the bullets now racing back in his direction.

Prompto’s own bullet seemed to have lodged itself squarely in the man’s right arm, and while it certainly wouldn’t be taking the guy out, it was _something_ …. something that he could still use to his advantage.

Prompto had just started to run through all the strategies that he had talked about with Cor during training about things to keep in mind while in the middle of a real gunfight and had been about to try and move to a more advantageous position when he suddenly felt a sharp stinging sensation in his gut.

 _Wait… I couldn’t have been… no…_ Prompto thought frantically to himself. Hadn’t he…? He was so sure he had avoided them… and yet contrary to all of this, when he looked down at his shirt, it was impossible to miss the patch of red on his shirt slowly getting larger and larger.

Seeing the scarlet blood start to soak his shirt was more than enough to send his mind into a state of shock as his leg decided to give out and his body crumpled uselessly to the floor.

There were so many thoughts running through his head, he could have sworn the whole world was spinning. Had he seriously come this far… just to bleed out on the floor of his house while his parents were still very much in trouble?

How was it that he could still be so useless? After all the practice sessions with Gladio and the Crownsguard training with Cor…. was it all just a huge waste of time? What did he have to show for any of it other than a gaping wound in his chest?

What would happen now? Did the gunman plan to finish him off? Or maybe he planned to simply let Prompto bleed out slowly, continuing to finish off everyone else in the house as he was forced to watch, helpless to do anything to stop the man.

“Well, wasn’t that quite the little sneak attack…?” The man finally spoke, his voice laced with malice and also, it couldn’t possibly be… amusement?

Was this guy seriously getting off on the fact that Prompto had just tried to kill him? Of all the ways Prompto had expected the man to react, this was definitely not one of them.

“I’ll admit, you’re quite a bit feistier than I expected.” The man continued as he steadily walked closer still to where Prompto was still lying motionless on the floor. “I never would have guessed a brat like you would be capable of wield the king’s magic… it almost seems like a waste to kill ya,” the man shrugged as he kicked the gun Prompto had worked so hard to summon just barely out of reach. “Though I wouldn’t be much of a hitman if I didn’t finish off my marks.”

“Wha-” Prompto barely managed to mutter before he found himself once again facing down the barrel of the man’s gun. There would be no evading the bullets this time. It would be game over the moment the man pulled the trigger.

However, Prompto was stubborn and he had too much on the line to go down without a fight.

There was no denying that he could feel himself getting weaker and his brain getting fuzzier from the blood loss, so he knew that if he wanted to stand any chance of getting out of this mess alive, he needed to finish things right here and now.

While it was true that it would be impossible for him to dodge any bullets at this close range, he also realized that he opposite must be true as well. Even Noct, who had the ability to phase through incoming attacks would struggle to evade such an attack at such a close distance.

If Prompto could manage to focus through the pain long enough to summon Noct’s gun just _one more time_ , that would be all he would need to stop this man once and for all.

“Well, it was fun kid but I don’t need those pesky coppers sniffing around before I’ve had a chance to wrap things up and gotten well away from this place.” The man laughed maliciously.

Once again, despite the fear and sheer terror coursing through his veins, Prompto closed his eyes and put all his remaining willpower towards willing the gun to disappear and reappear in his unsteady grip.

Prompto saw the man’s fingers start to put pressure on the trigger and the very instant he started to feel the cool metal grip make contact his with pale flesh, he didn’t waste another second and pulled the trigger.

Again. And again. And again, until he heard the soft clicking noise signifying a now empty chamber.

If Prompto hadn’t already been lying completely flat against the floor, he would have probably fallen back in utter relief as he watched the man before him start to stumble backwards unsteadily, his eyes opened wide, breathing heavily as the man’s eyes connected with his own.

 “You… little…” He man growled as he attempted to steady himself. “That little trick may have been amusing the first time, but it’s not nearly as cute the second time around. I think you need to learn what happens when you don’t just lay down and die like a good little boy…” He finished, quickly flourishing his gun and shooting the man that had been grieving for his deceased wife, without a second moment of hesitation.

“Try any funny business like that again, and the next one is going right between your dear old mother’s eyes.” The man laughed, coughing loudly as he brandished the weapon at the only other living person in the room except for himself and Prompto, who was somehow still managing to continue to hold on despite the fact that he must have already lost a considerable amount of blood. Thought, Prompto assumed it probably had something to do with all the adrenaline currently coursing through his system.

“No!” Prompto nearly shrieked as loud as he could manage without feeling as though his stomach was going to split open. “Don’t, _please_ …! Do whatever you want to me… but please…! Don’t hurt her!! I’m begging you…! I’ll do _anything_!”

“Prompto… don’t-” His mother started to say before being drowned out by the gunman’s booming laughter.

“It’s a little late to be start begging now, ain’t it, kid?”

“But… you… you said…” Prompto spluttered out, nearly sobbing as his mind tried furiously to think of a plan that would allow him to protect his mother. But it seemed that every single plan he had come up with had served to be utterly ineffective against him. Prompto shot him at _point blank range_ , and even that didn’t seem to do anything but piss him off even more. What the hell else could he do??

If ever Prompto felt as though he were in an utterly hopeless situation, this would certainly be it. All he could do was watch in horror as the man grinned, ready to shoot.

And he probably would have. If it hadn’t been for the sudden reappearance of Prompto’s father, at the other end of the room holding a shotgun, one which was pointed directly at the other man’s chest.

“Dad…” Prompto gasped, relief washing over his entire body. He had done it. He had kept him mom safe, just long enough to give his dad time to enact whatever plan he had in mind from the beginning.

“I don’t know who you are,” Prompto’s father practically shouted, waving his shotgun as he did so, “But you better step away from my wife and son before I fill you full of holes.”

“Well if it isn’t father like son?” The man couldn’t help but laugh, “Your boy already tried that, but you’re welcome to take your shot as well. You people are certainly a hell of a lot more entertaining than I ever could have imagined.”

“Even if we can’t finish you off… I doubt the police will have much trouble.” Prompto’s father threatened.

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed,” another sly grin from the gunman, “But there aren’t any police here right now. So, what’s to stop me from finishing you all off right here and now?”

“They may not be here now, but I just saw a police cruiser drive by just now. I can’t imagine all these gunshots going off haven’t attracted a certain amount of attention already, so as far as I can tell, it’s just a matter of time become the police arrive to check things out. Once that happens, you’re be as good as caught.” Prompto’s father remarked confidently,

For the first time since he had barged through the front door with guns ablaze, the gunman paused for a moment as though considering something before uttering a quick, “I suppose I did get a bit distracted… though that can’t be helped much right now. Guess I better put an end to this little game once and for all.”

Then, before Prompto knew what had happened and before he had any chance to stop it, he heard the distinct sounds of two gunshots and watched in horror as both his parents stumbled backwards, their eyes wide with surprise and collapsed to the ground, much in the same manner Prompto had not too long ago.

Prompto wanted to scream. He could feel tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He wanted desperately to pull himself up and over to where his parents were now lying motionless on the ground.

Despite all that however, it seemed as though his entire body and brain were frozen in shock. Everywhere felt numb and it was almost as though time itself had frozen. Here he was, lying on the floor with a searing pain in his gut, watching helplessly as both his parents were killed right in front of him.

Sure, his parents hadn’t always been the most loving or the most involved in his life... they were often away for work or other engagements; but even if he didn’t see his parents all that often, they still raised him. They weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they were his parents and Prompto loved them all the same.

“You know… I really should finish you off right here and now,” The man all but whispered, now hovering ominously over the fallen blonde, not unlike a predator looking over his prey. “But considering all the trouble you caused me, that would be too easy of an exit for you.” The man continued, smiling a vicious and spiteful smile. “I feel like letting you bleed out and fade slowly away would be a much more fitting way to go, don’t you think? Once all that adrenaline wears off, you won’t last but a few more agonizing minutes…”

Prompto couldn’t think of anything else to do other than to grit his teeth and glare at the man, even if he knew what the other was saying was very true. Already he could feel the adrenaline leaving his body, his brain starting to feel fuzzier and it getting steadily more difficult to concentrate what was going on around him as the surrounding darkness slowly started to overwhelm his senses.

“I would say see ya later kid, but we both know that’s not gonna happen.” The man laughed once more time before finally slipping back out the front door as silently as he had entered.

When Prompto was sure that the man was finally gone, the only thing on his mind was trying to figure out a way to get help, if not for himself, then at least for his parents. He hadn’t been able to see where they had been shot, but if there was even just a chance that they could be saved, he knew he needed to do whatever it took to make sure that happened.

If Prompto could somehow manage to get himself back into the dining room, his remembered he had left his phone on the table right next to the last placement he had placed before running towards the door after hearing the first gun shot.

His body was so tired and his movements increasingly sluggish, but he knew if he gave up now then this would surely be his end. His dad had mentioned the police coming, but there was no way to tell if that was the truth or a desperate bluff to scare the gunman off.

If he could just… get to his phone… he could call 911, Noct, hell… any living soul that might be able to help... he just needed to reach SOMEONE.

Every movement that Prompto took as he slowly attempted to crawl his way towards his phone was excruciating and it was getting increasingly difficult to ignore the black spots that were slowly starting to consume his vision.

 _Almost… there…_ Prompto thought frantically as he finally reached the table and attempted to use the chair to pull himself up just high enough so he could blindly fumble around for the small device he knew had to be there somewhere.

He nearly cried out in relief as his hand finally made contact with the object and was able to clumsily knock said device from the table, collapsing once more on the floor as he did so… exhausted, drained and trying desperately to ignore his brain’s renewed effort to drag him away.

By the time Prompto managed to grasp the device, his hands were shaking with the effort of holding it up and he quickly realized that dialing any sort of number with the way his hands were trembling would be a likely futile effort.

In a last-ditch effort to contact _someone_ , Prompto somehow managed to pull up his recently called list and selected the first name on that list. It was no surprise to Prompto to find that the last number he had called had been Noct. If only Noct were here right now… Prompto suddenly wished more than anything that he could see the other, just one more time.

Now seemed like to stupid time to think about such things, but all of a sudden Prompto felt a wave of regret wash over him. If he died right here on the floor of his own house, he would never be able to tell Noct how he felt about him. Sure, they were best of friends…. but Prompto would be lying if he said that he didn’t start crushing on the other like mad the moment he finally got up the courage to introduce himself. It was stupid really, because Noctis was royalty, and Prompto was pretty damn sure that Noct would end up marrying some beautiful princess from a far-off land.

And yet, Prompto couldn’t ever seem to shake his feelings and eventually having to settle for being Noct’s best friend, which was certainly better than nothing.

It seemed a shame for Noct not to know the truth, but then maybe he was better off not knowing how his supposed best friend longed for them be something more… he would probably be disgusted by the thought of it and not want Prompto around him anymore; and that would honestly be more devastating than anything else.

Prompto could do nothing as his eyelids slowly started drooping heavily. All wanted to do right now was sleep… _But wait-_ _wasn’t there something he was supposed to be doing?_

The last thing he remembered seeing before Prompto was completely overwhelmed was Noct’s name displayed at the top of his phone’s screen along with the thoughts of, _Sorry, Noct. Looks like I won’t be able to come over this weekend after all…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated. :)
> 
> Come hang with me on tumblr? ^-^ [ever-at-your-side-15](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ever-at-your-side-15)


	2. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Promptis Week 2018 - Day 4: ~~hurt/comfort~~  
>  \- ~~Prompto joining the Crownsguard |~~  
>  \- “Please don’t leave me.” 
> 
> AND Day 5: ~~marriage (arranged, proposal, wedding, life, etc.)~~  
>  \- ~~meeting Regis for the first time as a couple~~  
>  \- “I got your back.”
> 
> So, because I am still spectacularly behind schedule on things for Promptis Week (I'm slowly but surely attempting to get caught up now that I've finally gotten over the super obnoxious cold I've had for the last week... *sigh*), Here is the second chapter which actually combines two of the prompts for Promptis week, one from Day 4 & one from Day 5!
> 
> Also, a HUGE thank you to everyone that gave kudos and/or left a comment on the first chapter!! You have no idea how much I appreciate it! <33
> 
> Enjoy!!

“I can’t believe I got stuck at work on a Friday night….” One of the nurses yawned, stretching her arms above her head as he leaned back in her chair at the nurse’s station located right inside the hospital’s emergency room entrance.

“All my girlfriends decided to go bar hopping tonight and where am I….? Stuck working the twilight shift at the hospital while everyone else in Insomnia is off partying the night away…” She continued to whine before finishing, “And it’s not even like we have anything to do to help the time move by faster.”

“So, you’re saying you _want_ people to get hurt enough that they need to come to the emergency room?” Another one of the nurses asked in a playful and joking tone.

“Oh comon Rachel,” The other first nurse continued to whine. “You know that’s not what I meant… it’s just that if I’m going to go to the trouble of giving up my Friday night, I want to be able to something productive with it, rather than just sitting around twiddling my thumbs.”

“Yeah, well would you rather be running around like a mad woman trying to do ten million different things at once? Cause that’s usually the case on Friday nights… you should take this as a blessing.” The girl apparently named Rachel replied as she continued typing quickly on the computer in front of her.

“Why does it have to be one extreme or another though…? Why can’t we just have just enough stuff to keep us busy, but not completely overwhelm us either?”

“Cause that would be way too easy, and sometimes life just doesn’t work that way.” Rachel laughed again as she turned her head towards the now pouting brown-haired girl sitting next to her.

Said brunette looked like was about to say something in response to the other, but before she managed to open her mouth the two heard the sound of the large sliding doors opening and watched as two men calmly walked inside, while a third male practically leapt past the automatic doors the instant they opened and proceeded to all-out sprint the rest of the distance between the doors and the desk the two nurses were sitting behind.

It only took a fraction of a second for both nurses to take almost simultaneous double-takes as they quickly began to realize who exactly it was that has just stormed into their Emergency Room like a bat out of hell.

“Rach….?” The brunette nurse gaped, “I-Is that….?”

“The Crown Prince….?” The other whispered in barely muted disbelief. “Yeah, that’s definitely him….”

“Fuck. It’s almost unfair how gorgeous he is….”

“Comon Manda… he’s literally _right there_. Is this really the time?”

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t agree-” The brunette started to say before she was subsequently elbowed in the side by the other nurse as the Prince finally approached the desk.

“Hello…!” Rachel shouted, probably a little louder than she should have. “Welcome to Insomnia General, how can I assist you today, your highness?”

“Where’s Prompto…?!?” The prince all but shouted back as the two nurses nearly jumped back in surprise.

“Uhm… I’m sorry, your highness...!” Rachel stuttered, confused and anxious about the Prince’s sudden outburst. “I’m not sure-”

“All I know is that I got some call from someone who said that he was from the Insomnian Police Department asking about Prompto… He said something happened at his house and that he was brought here.” Noctis rambled on angrily. “What the hell happened? The cop wouldn’t tell me anything… all he told me was that Prompto was brought here to Insomnia General.”

Both women behind the desk were completely shocked into silence. This was probably the first time that they had ever seen the Crown Prince in person, and whenever they saw him at any televised event, he always seemed so quiet and indifferent. This sudden rush of emotion and anger seemed to cause all of the appropriate responses they knew they should easily be able to provide rush out of their head at light-speed.

It seemed as though the Crown Prince was ready to jump the desk and figure out a way to get the answers he wanted by whatever means necessary, before there was suddenly a hand on his shoulder, effectively restraining him from moving forward any further.

It was then that the two men that had entered with the Prince had finally caught up him. One of the men was very large and it looked as though his body was 100% muscle. It was pretty obvious that he had to be a bodyguard of some sort, while the other man, who had placed his hand on the Prince’s shoulder had glasses adorning his face and was impeccably well-dressed.

“Please do forgive his highness for his rudeness,” The man continued calmly as he stepped in between the still clearly bothered prince and the two young nurses. “My name is Ignis Scientia and I was wondering if you could tell me the room number for a one Prompto Argentum?”

Rachel, the nurse who had been previously working on the computer nodded quickly, “Yes, Mr. Scientia. I-If you could just give me a few moments, I’ll go ahead and get that information for you.”

“See, Noct?” The man named Ignis uttered coolly as he turned his head back to face the still obviously impatient boy behind him. “That is how you properly ask questions in hospital, especially when you’re someone as esteemed as the Crown Prince.”

Said boy merely grunted in response as the larger man beside him let out a quick snort, which subsequently received a cutting glare from the boy beside him.

“Uh… Mr. Scientia….?” The nurse at the computer uttered nervously. “I um… I don’t see any records in our system regarding anyone with the name Prompto Argentum being admitted to the hospital… I’m sorry-”

“How is that possible???” Noctis quickly exclaimed from behind Ignis, cutting the nurse off before she had a chance to continue. “The cop on the phone specifically said Prom was brought here to Insomnia General… he HAS to be here.”

“Noct-”

“What?” Noct shot back at Ignis. “That’s what he said, and he was there when they took Prom, so I can’t imagine he would lie to us…”

“Didn’t you also say that the officer said that the authorities were still attempting to verify his identity…? Was that not the whole reason that they called you in the first place?” Ignis responded thoughtfully.

“Well, yeah… I guess so-”

“Which means that they must not have been aware of his identity when the paramedics initially took him….” Ignis mused quietly before turning once again back toward the nurses.

“Miss… has the hospital admitted any unidentified teenage males to your ER recently?” Ignis asked again.

“Oh, Rach...!” The other nurse who had been silent thus far suddenly exclaimed. “What about that boy that was admitted like two hours ago?? He was rushed straight into surgery, though I don’t think he’s come out yet… which also means it would unfortunately be impossible to confirm his identity right now...”

“Shit.” Noctis muttered under his breath as his hand clenched the back of Ignis’s shirt tightly. “That’s got to be him… there’s no other explanation.”

“We can’t know for sure.” Ignis replied evenly, before once again turning his attention towards the young nurses, “I apologize for barraging you with so many questions, but do you happen to have an estimate on when the surgery in question will be finished?”

The girl by the computer shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Scientia. I don’t know. It all depends on if the surgeons are able to stabilize him and how long it takes to do so without risk of any further complications.”

The sheer look of despair that befell the young prince at this, shook the two young nurses straight to the core.

“I-I’m sorry…” The one at the computer muttered. “I know that’s probably not the answer you were looking for. However, if you would like I can at least send word for the surgeons to come out and talk with you when they’re done.”

“Yes, thank you, miss.” Ignis replied quickly, bowing his head in thanks as he did so. “That would be most appreciated.”

“You are welcome to wait in the waiting room, in the meanwhile…!” The other one, Manda, quickly added.

“Thank you again,” Ignis replied as he and the much larger male accompanying the young prince directed said prince over towards to open seating.

* * *

 

“Shiva…. this is all so fucked up…” Noctis muttered quietly as Ignis finally convinced him to sit down.

“Prompto doesn’t deserve any of this….” The prince continued miserably. “We were supposed to spend the rest of the weekend goofing off and playing video games; not sitting around in this waiting room to find out if Prom is gonna pull through… that is, if this person even turns out to be him in the first place.”

“There’s unfortunately not much else we can do but wait and see.” Ignis replied softly, knowing sadly that there was nothing he could to do assuage Noct’s concerns.

“Well, if it really is Prompto in there, I’m sure he’ll pull through.” Gladio added, while he continued to peruse one of the many magazines available in the small waiting room. “I can’t say I expected all that much from him in the beginning, but there’s no question the kid isn’t gonna go down without a fight.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Noctis replied half-heartedly as he started combing through his recent texts with said blonde for what had to be the hundredth time. “I just wish I knew what the hell even happened… I mean, Prompto was totally fine during school today and we even walked home together…”

Noctis had just laid his head to rest on Ignis’s shoulder when all of a sudden, he jumped back.

“Shit…!” Noctis practically exclaimed. “Prom and I usually go to the arcade after school today, but we couldn’t because I had that meeting at the Citadel… Iggy, you don’t think… that the only reason he got caught up in all this shit was cause he was at home…? If we had-”

“There is absolutely no way you could have predicted what was going to happen.” Ignis interjected quickly.

“Yeah, Iggy’s right.” Gladio added, nodding as he did so. “It’s not your fault the kid got hurt. So, don’t even start thinking that.”

Even with both Ignis and Gladio reassuring him, Noctis couldn’t help but still feel guilty. He couldn’t help but feel that if the two of them had just gone over to the arcade like normal… then this whole thing could have been completely avoided.

Time continued inching by excruciatingly slowly and there was a part of Noctis that feared this uncertainty would never end. He was convinced he would continue sit in this waiting room for the rest of eternity wondering and rethinking all the decisions he had ever made.

Ignis and Gladio had both suggesting going outside and taking a walk to take his mind off things, but Noctis knew that would be impossible. There was no way that he was leaving this room until he knew for a fact what kind of condition Prompto was in.

It was, of course, only once Noctis finally started drifting off, resting his head on his advisor’s vacant shoulder, that an official looking man in scrubs approached the group of three.

“I was told this was where I could find a Mr. Scientia?” The man asked uncertainly.

“Yes, that’s me.” Ignis replied evenly, Noctis shooting up straight in an instant beside him, desperate for any kind of update on the situation.

“I was told that you would be able to identify the young man that I just had in my OR. Is that correct?” The asked again.

“I am certainly hoping that is the case. Would it be possible for us to see him and confirm that for ourselves?” The bespectacled advisor asked, motioning towards Noct who was practically falling out of his chair at this point, and Gladio who had just placed the magazine he had been reading back down on the table.

“The young man in question is stable for the moment, however he is still in very serious condition and thus he has been moved to our Intensive Care Wing. If you would like to see him, all I ask is that you please be mindful of you actions while you are in the room with him.” The Doctor finished and Noctis nearly leapt to his feet as said motioned for the three to follow him.

“Now, I do feel the need to warn you before we arrive that the boy _just_ came out of surgery, so I’m afraid he won’t be conscious.” The doctor explained as the group moved through the various hallways and elevator rides while on their way to the room in question.

“I would also not expect him to regain consciousness for at least a few hours while his body adjusts to everything that has happened.” The man continued. “Not only that, but if and/or when he does regain consciousness, he will most likely be very confused. However, please do not be alarmed. This is merely is an effect from both the trauma his body went through as well as all the fluids and pain medication we currently have him on.”

“Wait-” Noctis quickly spoke up, concern and anxiety clearly laced with each word. “What do you mean IF he regains consciousness? Are you seriously telling me that there might be a chance that he won’t wake up?”

“The odds are low, as his vitals seem to fall within the normal range one would typically expect from someone in his condition,” The man replied plainly. “However, there is always a chance that there may be some unforeseen complications from the surgery, which can sometimes result in unfavorable outcomes.”

Noctis looked as though he wanted to reply to this particular revelation, but when he opened his mouth no words seemed to be able to quite make it out in anything more than a broken whine.

The group continued walking the rest of the way in silence until they entered the Intensive Care Unit and the doctor finally came to a stop.

“Well, here we are-” The doctor had started to say, but before he even had a chance to finish his sentence and whatever else he had hoped to say before they entered, Noct had already wrenched the door open and nearly fell over when he got a look the boy lying motionless on the bed in front of him.

“Prom….” Noctis inhaled deeply as he attempted to process the scene before him, his breath nearly getting caught in his throat as he attempted to resist the temptation of losing himself right then and there.

As Noctis managed to quickly shake himself from the utter shock of seeing his best friend who was normally so happy and full of life look so vulnerable and small, he proceeded to swiftly rush over to the blonde’s bedside.

“So, can I rightly assume that this is indeed the young man you were looking for?” The doctor managed to ask as he pulled his attention away from the overtly concerned prince.

“Yes, indeed.” Ignis nodded. “His name is Prompto Argentum and he is a very close, personal friend of his highness.” The astute advisor continued before quickly turning to face the doctor head on. “If I may, now that we have settled that issue, would it be possible for you to enlighten us about what transpired and resulted in young Prompto’s current condition?”

“Are you family? Because you must know that I can only-”

“Yes, we are.”

“But you said-”

“We may not be his family by blood no, but that doesn’t mean that the bonds that exist between us are any less strong.” Ignis added, his voice unwavering.

“Need I remind you of who exactly is in that room right now, doc?” Gladio now spoke up, joining the conversation as he calmly walked over so he was standing directly behind the doctor. “I don’t think you’ll find a higher authority than the Royal Family of Lucis… so, if you want take another moment to think about your answer, we don’t mind waiting.”

“A-Ahem- y-yes of course.” The doctor coughed as he stuttered through his words before clearing his throat, “The boy, Prompto you said his name was? He was brought in by the paramedics with a GSW in his torso. He had lost an alarming amount of blood before he arrived, so I wasn’t sure if he was going to even make it off the table, though that’s not to say he’s out of the woods quite yet. He still has quite a bit of a fight in front of him until he will be able to fully recover.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“You are quite welcome, Mr. Scientia.” The doctor replied. “I will say that I am quite relieved that we were able to determine his identity, as well as to find that he has people here to help him through this tough time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am due back in the OR shortly, but one of the nurses will be by periodically to check on him. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to press the call button.”

“Will do, doc.” Gladio replied as he extended his hand out for the other man to shake. “Thanks for not giving up on the kid, I know Noctis is damn well appreciative of that, as are we.”

“Don’t mention it,” The man replied as he met Gladio’s outstretched hand with his own. “I wish I could take all the credit, but damn, that kid certainly is a fighter… I’ve seen stronger men than him come out of the same kind of situation a whole lot worse.”

The rest of the night was spent with Noct refusing to leave Prompto’s side, insisting that he wanted to be there the moment the blonde woke up, even after Ignis reminded him that there was no telling when that would be. It could be an hour, it could be eight hours… and yet Noctis remained firmly fixed in his seat, refusing to move even an inch.

“Your Highness, please… it’s nearly three in the morning,” Ignis argued. “You’re going to be no help to Prompto if you are dead on your feet. I’m not asking you to leave the hospital, or even leave this room. Just please, for astrals sake, try to get some sleep. I can assure you that Prompto will not dissolve into thin air while you sleep.”

“Ugh…” Noctis groaned. “Fine, Specs, you win. Just go ahead and toss me the pillow next to you?”

There was an equally unsatisfied groan from said advisor, but Ignis knew he should at least take pride in the fact that he had managed to get Noct not only consider, but to actually agree to get some well needed rest before things started all over again in just a few short hours.

* * *

 

“Why won’t he wake up? It’s been practically three whole days since he was brought here…” Noctis whined, his expression dejected and eyes tired from the lack of any significant amount of sleep in the past 72 hours. “I know the doctors said that it would be awhile till he regained consciousness, but I thought they meant a few hours, not a few days…”

“I’m sure it would be near impossible to find any one particular cause.” Ignis replied lightly, as he himself couldn’t help but consider why Prompto had yet to wake up. “There are a multitude of factors that could currently be preventing Prompto from regaining consciousness. However, I do strongly believe that what his body is in most desperate need of right now is rest, so I’m afraid all we can do is continue to wait.”

Noctis frowned deeply as he considered Ignis’s words. Waiting for something that was on a definite and fixed timeline was one thing; it certainly wasn’t the ideal situation, but at least you knew that the end was somewhere in sight and could countdown towards that specific end goal.

Waiting for something like this? For something that may never materialize was easily a hundred, or even a thousand times worse. It could be over in a few minutes, few hours, or yet another few days… or, and Noct didn’t even want to attempt to entertain the idea… there was always that chance that Prompto might never regain consciousness. If the damage to his body was too severe-

_No. I can’t think like that._ Noct thought fervently to himself. _He’s going to come back. This is Prompto we’re talking about here. There’s no way that this is the end…. it just **can’t be**._

“Noct,” Ignis broke the terse silence that had descended. “I must insist once again that you at least _attempt_ to lay down while you can. You have school tomorrow after all, and while barricading yourself in here during the weekend is one thing, it would be another entirely-”

“Specs, you can’t be serious…!” Noctis practically shouted in disbelief, “You don’t really expect me to be able to concentrate on something stupid like school while Prompto is here fighting for his life all _by himself??_ ”

“There is no need for such theatrics, your highness.” Ignis countered quickly, “I certainly do not intend to leave Prompto on his own while you are at school. At the very least, myself or Gladio would be present in the event that he does happen to regain consciousness while you are at school.”

“I’m telling you, that’s _not_ going to happen,” Noctis urged vehemently. “And there is not one argument you could ever make, that would stand a chance of convincing me to leave this room. So, you may as well just it give up now before you waste all of your energy trying.”

The look on Ignis’s face was much the same as a parent would make while trying to deal with a petulant child. However, as exasperated as the advisor might be with Noct’s current behavior, he knew that continuing the chide the stubborn prince, would do nothing but sour Noct’s mood even further.

Ignis would let the conversation die for now, but if things continued to remain as they were for much longer, he would no longer be able to stand idly by as Noctis continued to let his own health falter while waiting for Prompto to regain his own.

“I’m going to head back to your apartment to prepare some proper food for you to eat before you end up in a bed right next to Prompto. Is there anything you would like for me to pick up while I’m there?” he asked, although judging by how their conversations had been going the past few days, he wasn’t expecting much more than a silent shake or nod of the head.

“Hmmm…” Noctis hummed as he finally looked up from the game he had been playing on his phone for the past hour. “Could you maybe grab a few of the comic books in the small nightstand by my bed? Those were always Prom’s favorite anyway, and it’s been awhile since I read through them… and I guess eating some real food wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world either...”

“I believe the apartment should already be stocked for the preparation of some rudimentary meals to keep your energy up, so I should be back in about an hour or two.” Ignis mused as his brain was already going through a mental checklist of all the ingredients available back at Noct’s apartment and which meal would be most appropriate to prepare and bring back. “You will let me know if anything changes with Prompto’s condition?”

“Yeah, course.” Noctis replied simply, staring at the floor sullenly and frowning.

Ignis nodded as he started to exit the small room, looking back as he reached to door only to see Noctis carefully taking one of Prompto’s hands in his own, squeezing it lightly before proceeding to utter something in hushed whispers that the advisor could not hear.

It was at that short moment, that Ignis truly feared what would become of the prince if Prompto didn’t pull-through.

* * *

Ignis had stayed true to his word and right as the two-hour mark approached, he was already navigating through the maze of hallways leading back to Prompto’s room with two helpings of a simple rice dish Noct had always favored as a child. Ignis had been hoping it would be enough to lift the prince’s mood ever so slightly as they continued their waiting game with no foreseeable end in sight.

When Ignis entered the room, he was barely surprised to find Noctis in much the very same position he had left him in. It also seemed as though Gladio had stopped in at some point, as there was now an unopened package of cup noodles lying haphazardly on one of the counters on the far side of the room.

Noctis didn’t so much as glance in Ignis’s direction as he opened the door, although it didn’t long for the sweet aroma of Ignis’s home cooked food to make its way over to the younger boy’s nose.

As if in tandem with it all, Noct’s stomach started to rumble loudly as though it were laying claim to the food still within Ignis’s grasp right then and there.

“Thanks…” Noct muttered quietly as Ignis handed the small container over to the haggard looking prince.

The two ate mostly in silence, but Ignis paid it no mind. He was merely glad that Noct was finally able to get some substantial nutrition back in his body after having been camped out in Prompto’s room since they found him, as he had been subsisting on nothing more than vending machine snacks and the hospital cafeteria food that Ignis had forced him to eat.

“Specs… do you really have to mumble like that while you’re eating?” Noctis moaned lightly, not even having the energy to become properly irritated.

“I’m sorry your highness, but you must be mistaken.” Ignis replied carefully, “I have not uttered a word since we started eating.”

“No…” Noctis argued quite assuredly, “I definitely heard someone muttering just now, and it wasn’t me. Gladio left like an hour ago, and you’re the only other person-” Noctis started to say before his brain came to a sudden realization that he was sure was too far too good to be true.

At practically the same instant, both boys froze and almost instantaneously flipped their focus to the previously still blonde lying in the hospital bed beside them.

“Prom…?” Noct asked, his dinner completely forgotten as he hoped more than anything that the blonde would respond in some way… _any_ way.

It was then that Noct heard the exceedingly quiet mumbling once more, as he watched Prompto’s lips move ever so slightly.

“n-n…. d’nt…” Prompto muttered so softly, it was only just barely audible. If Noct hadn’t specifically been listening for it, it was likely he would have missed it all together. “… d…di…n’t… n…. o…”

The muttering was slowly growing in volume, but as it became easier to hear what the blonde boy was saying, it was just as apparent that he was quickly becoming more and more agitated. His face which had been the picture of impassivity mere moments before, was now scrunching together tightly. Through whether that was due to pain, fear, or anything else was anyone’s guess.

“Prompto…?” Noctis tried calling his name once again, “You with me? Comon buddy…. it’s me Noct, and I need you to wake up okay?” Noctis finished, his voice pleading… desperately wishing, hoping and praying for the blonde to finally open his eyes after waiting for what felt like eternity wondering and waiting… unsure of how things would work out, if they did at all.

Whether the blonde heard and/or recognized Noct’s voice, he couldn’t be sure, but the moment Noct attempted to place his hand on Prompto’s as he had done so many times before, something seemed to flip a switch in the blonde’s brain and Prompto went from mildly uncomfortable to completely losing it, as his entire body seemed to jerk backwards, his eyes shooting open wide as his body started to shake violently.

Noct withdrew his hand from his best friend quicker than he could have ever though possible as he heard all the monitors Prompto was currently hooked to started blaring loudly as all of his vitals suddenly skyrocketed.

“Prompto,” Ignis uttered slow and calm, stepping forward very carefully so as not to spook the distressed blonde any further. “I know you are probably feeling very overwhelmed and scared right now, but if there is one thing I can promise you, it is that you are completely and 100% safe right now. I will explain everything to you once we are able to get you calmed down, okay?” Ignis continued as Noctis watched on, concern etched into every inch of his face.

“You were found wounded at your house and transported here to Insomnia General Hospital, okay? I promise that no-one here is going to hurt you, but I need you to take a few deep breathes and try to calm yourself.” Ignis continued evenly.

At first, it seemed as though Prompto just simply wasn’t in a state to comprehend Ignis’s words, however, after a few more seconds passed, his eyes finally seemed to start focusing on the things and people around him as he allowed his head to sink slowly back against his pillow.

He remained silent, and although his body was still trembling slightly, his face was no longer that of a boy terrified beyond belief, and the machines surrounding his bed were no longer screaming their displeasure.

Prompto’s tired, and yet curious eyes started wandering around the room, almost aimlessly, until he froze as he stopped on something, or more specifically, someone in particular he recognized.

“…n-noct…?” He uttered so quietly, it was barely more than a disbelieving whisper. “Wha-… I-I don’t…” he started to mumble before steadily trailing off as he attempted to continue to take in everything that was happening.

“Hey buddy,” Noctis uttered, his body finally started to relax, slowly releasing all the tension that had been building and compounding endlessly over the past few days. “You really scared the shit outta me, ya know?”

“…s-sorry…” Prompto stuttered, his voice still barely above a whisper. “I-I’m so sorry…” he proceeded to choke out as large tears proceeded to quickly collect at the corner of his eyes.

“What the fuck are you apologizing for?” Noct replied quickly and confidently as he sat down on the bed right next to the blonde, placing a comforting arm around his shoulders, hoping since Prompto was mostly aware of what was going on that he wouldn’t react the way he had moments before. “It’s not like you asked to get attacked.”

“I-I tried…” Prompto whined as he found himself instinctively inching closer and leaning into the warmth that Noct’s presence provided. “I t-thought that since I’ve been training with Gladio… and Cor… t-that maybe I could do something…” The blonde boy’s shoulders were practically trembling with the effort of attempting to holding back his broken sobs.

Prompto had been desperate to keep a strong front and not to show any weakness to the man that had attacked him, but the truth? The gosh darn truth was that he had been completely and utterly terrified the entire time; and now that Prompto had by some miracle managed to survive long enough to be in the company of people who actually cared about him…? All those feelings were now practically bursting through his chest, yelling and screaming to finally be set free; and he quickly realized he was far too exhausted to keep all those feelings at bay any longer.

So, Prompto did the only thing he could and finally surrendered to his urges as he started bawling his eyes out, desperately holding on to Noct for dear life as he did so with Noct staying exactly where he was the entire time, uttering soft assurances as he began rubbing soothing circles on the other’s back until he finally cried himself out.

A few minutes after Prompto’s chest stopped heaving from the effort of finally letting free all the emotions his body had built up since he had been attacked, he quickly fell silent, practically melting up against Noct’s chest. Once his breathing finally started to even out, Noct knew it was simply a matter of time before the blonde fell back asleep.

“You know… you should probably get some rest,” Noctis noted quietly as he couldn’t help but start combing his fingers gently through the other’s hair, however, Prompto remained decidedly silent, after which Noct quickly added, “I can move if you-”

“-no…” Prompto muttered, his face creasing in a slight frown as he tightened his grip in an attempt to prevent the other from pulling away. The mere thought of losing Noct… even if he was simply moving a few feet away was far more terrifying a prospect that it honestly should have been.

“Please… don’t leave me… I… I just- I don’t want to be a-alone right now…” Prompto honestly had no idea how to explain it, but the simple fact of being able to actually, _physically_ feel Noct right there beside him- it just felt… right; it felt safe. Having that constant physical contact reassured him that someone was indeed there… that he wasn’t back in his house lying on the floor by as he bled out, waiting and hoping that someone would come find him before it was too late.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Noct replied softly, pulling Prompto in even closer, as if to reassure him that he wasn’t planning on going anywhere anytime soon. “You really should get some sleep though Prom, I bet you’re still exhausted and you’ve been through a lot. Go to sleep, and I promise that I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“mhmmm…” Prompto hummed as he left himself relax almost completely, his body and mind lulled to sleep by the prince’s mere presence. “-better…be…”

After some quick adjustments to make sure he wouldn’t start cramping up in the middle of the night, Noct could already hear Prompto’s breathes begin to even out as he continued to fall deeper and deeper into a well-needed slumber.

It wasn’t long after Prompto nodded off that Noct’s own exhaustion decided to come back in full-force. Holding tightly onto the sleeping boy beside him, Noct was happy to take full advantage of the position he found himself in and he too quickly fell asleep.

Once he was sure the two boys were resting peacefully, Ignis quickly headed off to the nearest nurses’ station to inform them of the fact that Prompto had indeed woken up. There wasn’t much to be done at this very moment, but Ignis was sure that the doctors would want to do a full check-up whenever Prompto managed to regain consciousness once more.

In light of Prompto regaining consciousness, Ignis decided to take pity on Noct and not drag him off to school the following morning, of which Noctis was incredibly grateful.

As the next day came and went, Prompto spent the majority of the day, sleeping on and off, but that was perfectly fine with Noctis. He was simply thankful that Prompto was finally starting on the road to recovery.

However, despite his miraculous recovery, there was still a lot of concerning effects of the attack that continued to plague Prompto. The most prominent being his new-found aversion to having large, strange men come into his room, as well as Prompto nearly jumping out of his skin practically any time someone knocked on the door to his hospital room.

According to Ignis, these were not unusual responses considering the kind of trauma that Prompto went through. It was only natural that he would associate those particular stimuli with the emotions and feelings he had experienced during such a stressful time.

Once the doctors came in to check on Prompto’s condition now that he was awake and alert, they were quickly able to determine that he was likely out of the danger zone for most of the more serious complications. That being said, it was only a matter of time before he was transferred out of the ICU and into a standard hospital room while he continued to recover.

~~~~~~~~~

“Guess there have to be some perks to being best buddies with the Crown Prince, eh?” Prompto chuckled lightly as he continued to take a good look around the new room he had been transferred into.

“And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean, comon Noct…” Prompto grinned lightly as he turned to face his friend. “Like those doctors would ever give a room like this to a pleab like me? This room is easily almost as big as my room at home and I mean, just look at the freaking view outside. You seriously going to tell me that all of that is just some kind of freakish coincidence?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Noct asked, scratching the back of his head as he attempted to think of a reason to refute the blonde’s point, and yet he was thankful because this was a livelier Prompto than Noct had seen since the two of them had been reunited.

Then, as fate would have it, before Noct had even had a chance to appreciate it, the moment was gone as there were a few curt knocks on the door and the playful expression which had been on Prompto’s face was instantly wiped away as his face froze, his heartrate increased, and his eyes open wide as he attempted to control his breathing.

Prompto felt his heart pounding in his chest and he know that there should be no reason why a simple knock at the door should send him into such a panic; and yet here he was, losing his shit because of exactly that.

“It’s okay, Prom.” Noct said calmly in an attempt to reassure the blonde. “It’s probably just one of the doctors or nurses coming in to make sure you’re doing okay in your new room…”

“I’m fine.” Prompto replied quickly, and yet there was nothing about him that was so. “R-Really.” He continued to insist as he attempted to slow down his breathing. He was trying to take slow, deep breaths just like Ignis had taught him to after he panicked in just the same situation the first time after having woken up.

Noct finally got to the door and opened it wide to reveal not one, but two strangers, that judging by their uniforms, must be cops for the Insomnia Police Department. One of them was a male about average height, slender and pale; while the other was a woman, maybe a foot shorter, stocky with very clearly defined muscles that made Noct just the slightest bit jealous.

“Oh- uh… pardon our intrusion Prince Noctis…!” The taller officer stumbled through his words as he had clearly not expected the person behind the door to be none other than the Crown Prince himself. “I was told that this was the room for a one… Prompto Argentum?”

“Yeah, and?”

“And we, uh- well, we were hoping we could ask him a few questions about the incident that he was involved in this past Friday?” The man continued, still obviously a bit starstruck about the whole talking and attempting to hold a conversation with _the_ Prince of Lucis, while his advisor and bodyguard were also in the same room.

At this query, Noctis quickly turned his head towards the blonde in question, looking for confirmation and willing to move forward in whichever direction Prompto most preferred.

“It’s up to you, Prom.” Noctis inquired. “I’ll support whatever decision you make.”

Prompto was silent and his focus seemed so distant, that at first Noctis was unsure if the other boy had heard him, but just as he had been about to repeat himself, Prompto managed to take one last deep breath, before replying in a soft voice.

“I’ll do it…” he muttered. “…under one condition…”

“What’s that?”

“I-I’d um… I’d like you to stay… here… with me, while we do it.” Prompto said in quick succession as he started wringing his hands with the top blanket he had on his bed before finished with a hasty, “If that’s okay with you, Noct.”

Noctis couldn’t quite help the small chuckle that managed to escape his throat at Prom’s request. With as nervous as Prompto looked, Noctis had honestly been expecting something a lot worse.

“Yeah of course, buddy.” Noctis grinned as he walked back over towards Prompto’s bed and placed a comforting hand on the blonde’s shoulder as he waved the two officers over. “I got your back. 100%”

“Well, thank you for allowing us to talk to you today, Mr. Argentum.” The woman stepped forward this time as she extended her hand so as to shake hands with both Noctis and Prompto. Where as her partner was still so obviously flummoxed by the unexpected company, the woman had an air of self-confidence that was not to be missed.

“I know that this is probably not a subject that you are all that eager to revisit, but any information you have that could help us in our investigation would be incredibly helpful.” The woman continued calmly.

“Yeah, but I want to try and help… in any way I can.” Prompto replied, his voice steady as he held out his hand so that he could grasp onto Noct’s own. “A lot of it is still pretty fuzzy though, so I don’t really remember a lot of specifics, sorry...”

“Don’t worry about it,” The officer smiled as she pulled out a small notebook from one of her jacket pockets. “As I said before, anything that remember, big or small, could serve to be a huge help.”

“Yeah, okay.” Prompto nodded lightly, “I’ll do my best.”

“Well, first things first,” The lady spoke as she started flipping through her notebook, “I’m not sure how much you have been told, but I feel as though you have a right to know what the police found when they arrived at the scene.” There was a pause and Prompto was tempted to just continue to live on in blissful ignorance, but he knew that he owed to everyone and himself to see this through to the end.

Prompto nodded as the female officer had seemingly been awaiting some kind confirmation from him before continuing.

“Is there anyone that you can think of that might have a grudge against your parents?” She asked and Prompto was taken aback by the seemingly odd question. “The reason I’m asking is because once the authorities arrived, the assumption was made that the two bodies found in the entrance hall were that of your parents, however this assumption was quickly proven to be false.”

“No- that can’t be…” Prompto quickly blurted out, “That doesn’t make any sense…. I SAW HIM shoot my parents and I definitely remember them collapsing on the floor… but then, the man…” Prompto stated quickly, trying to keep his breathing even as he squeezed Noct’s hand tightly. “He just left after that… he never touched them…”

“Are you absolutely certain about that? There’s no way that your mind is remembering things differently in an attempt to protect you?” The woman asked before Prompto quickly started shaking his head.

“No!” He shouted as he now held Noct’s hand in some sort of death grip. “I know that there are certain parts of what happened that I don’t remember all the well, but I swear…. I swear, I’m not lying…”

“Hmmm…” The officer muttered to herself as she carefully considered the blonde’s words. His body language certainly portrayed someone who genuinely believed what they were saying, but if what he was saying was true then it just served to deepen the mystery of what really went down at the house that night. “Even bringing that into consideration, it doesn’t change the fact that we currently have not been able account for your parent’s whereabouts… alive or otherwise.”

Prompto was struck completely silent by this statement. He had spent just about every waking moment wondering and waiting to find out his parent’s fate and yet even now, he had no idea if he should be more worried or relieved. They hadn’t found their bodies… so that must mean that there was a chance that they were still alive, didn’t it?”

“So…” he breathed out, “Now what…? Are you going to try and find them?”

“Of course.” The woman nodded, smiling gently. “We are doing our absolute best to locate them. The police are following any and all leads that may either bring us closer to finding what happened to your parents, as well as towards discovering the identity of the man that did this to you. We will let you know the moment we find anything.”

“Thanks.”

The woman nodded before whispering something to her partner who quickly departed from the room.

“Thank you for allowing me to talk with you today, the information you provided will serve very useful as we continue our investigation.” She smiled softly as she once again extended her arm so that she could shake Prompto’s free hand.

“You okay?” Noctis asked after the woman had finally exited the room.

“Yeah… I guess.” Prompto replied, his voice quiet and tired as he allowed his body to sink back into the soft hospital bed. “It’s just a lot to take in and there are still some things that I’m struggling to wrap my brain around.”

“You held up remarkably well, for someone in your situation.” Ignis interjected as he finally strode over towards the two boys from where he had been observing the situation from the other side of the room.

“Are you referring to the discrepancies between what you remember and what you were just told by the female officer just now?” he asked honestly.

“Well yeah…” Prompto nodded lightly, “I am, but like there’s something else that I just remembered, that just serves to make even less sense with everything considered.”

“And that is?”

“The cop just now,” Prompto paused trying to figure out a way to say what he was thinking, without it sounding completely ridiculous. “She kept talking about how this could all lead back to something with my parents, right?”

“That was certainly what it seemed like.” Ignis nodded.

“Okay, like I know this is going to sound super weird,” Prompto dropped his gaze to his lap as he started once again messing around with the hem of the sheets covering him. “I really can’t be 100% sure, but I feel like I remember him talking about how I was different than what he had expected or something… I can’t really remember exactly what he said, but it was almost like… I dunno… it was like he _knew_ stuff about me…”

“Are you saying that you believe this wasn’t just a random incident and that perhaps you were the intended target all along?” Ignis asked purposefully as Noct’s eyes went wide at the sudden suggestion. “But then of course, that wouldn’t explain why he left you and allegedly took your parents instead… maybe to use them as a bargaining chip, perhaps?”

Just the thought of such a thing was more than enough to make Prompto’s skin crawl, but before he had a chance to verbalize such thoughts, the door to his room opened quickly once again and the female officer who had just left re-entered the room, with an uncharacteristically surprised look on her face.

“Did you forget something, miss?” Ignis asked as Prompto and Noctis all turned their attention to said woman.

“No…” She shook her head, though it was quite apparent that that was not the entire story. “Your parents…” she gaped as he fixed her focus squarely on Prompto. Who by now had a flurry of horrible thoughts rushing through his head wondering what had happened to cause such a reaction.

“Are they-” He started to ask, though he was quite certain he wasn’t the least bit ready for the answer.

“They’re here…”

There was a collective gasp from the remaining occupants of the room as they all exchanged thoroughly confused express, unsure of how to process the information they had just been given.

“What do you mean… they’re here…?” Prompto finally managed to choke out, so many unanswered questions falling silent upon his lips, trying not to pre-emptively get his hopes up of actually being able to reunite with his parents after everything that had happened.

“They’re downstairs… and quite frantic to come up and see you.”


	3. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Promptis Week 2018 - Day 6: ~~soulmate au (matching marks)~~  
>  | Noctis spoiling Prompto | ~~“I thought you were dead.”~~  
>  And here we are at the final chapter...! Thank you so much to everyone that has given kudos and commented. I have loved hearing people's thoughts about each chapter. Thanks for joining me on this wild ride. ;P
> 
> Hope you all enjoy how everything comes together!

It seemed almost too good to be true, but what possible reason would this woman have to lie to Prompto in such a way?

“A-Are they okay? How did they get here? Where have they been? I saw them _get shot_ ….” Prompto stumbled through all the frantic questions as they all seemed to burst from his mouth uncontrollably.

“As far as I can tell, they’re quite a bit banged up; but by some miracle, they don’t seem to have any serious injuries.” The disbelief was still clear in the officer’s tone as she spoke, but nevertheless she rarely saw cases work themselves out like this, so she sure as hell wasn’t going to question it. “I can bring them up if you’d like?”

Prompto couldn’t possibly nod his head fast enough. If he didn’t know that he would probably collapse the moment his feet made contact with the floor, he would have leapt from his bed and sprint down to meet his parents himself.

“Yes, please!” He nearly shouted, the excitement and endorphins quickly overtaking his entire being.

The female officer’s smile only grew as she witnessed the scene before her and how Prompto was nearly vibrating out of his seat he was so excited.

She departed the room and quickly made her way downstairs to the lobby where the miraculously okay Mr. and Mrs. Argentum were talking fervently with her partner as he was attempting to figure out what exactly had happened to them since they had been attacked in their house almost a week ago.

She was able to greet both of the parents, introduce herself properly before suggesting that they move their conversation upstairs where they would be able to recount their experiences to them and reconcile with their son.

It was a tearjerker of a reunion if she ever saw one. The mother practically threw herself across the room in an effort to hug her son and the father wasn’t far behind as all three Lucians seemed happy to remain within each other’s arms.

Noctis, Ignis and Gladio had stepped away, per Ignis’s suggestion to allow the three time to reunite without interference. They deserved to have some time that was just the three of them.

After a few minutes, the two police officers proceeded to ask Prompto’s parents to explain in as much detail as they could about what had happened and how they had ended up right here and now.

Much like when the female officer had interviewed Prompto, his parents didn’t really have that many specifics and were similarly unable to bring any new information to the table.

They recounted the altercation back at their house in much the same manner as Prompto had. Though of course, everyone in the room had been very interested in what had happened after they had been shot as Prompto had insisted.

Apparently, when they had both been shot, the trajectory must have been off somehow because they claimed that both of them had only received glancing blows, and it was instead the force and shock of having been shot that had caused them to collapse.

“The next thing we knew, we woke up in some empty building neither of us recognized.” Prompto’s mother recounted as she sat practically glued to her son’s side.

“It was only a few hours ago that we actually managed to escape…” The father added before continuing. “We managed to make our way back to the house and saw that it was blocked off by the police, so we stopped at one of my wife’s co-workers house and attempted to patch ourselves up before running straight over here after finding out that Prompto had been brought to Insomnia General.

The two officers continued to ask Prompto’s parents questions about anything specific they could remember about where they had been held or anything that might help the police track down the man/men who had kidnapped them, though this was met with varied results.

While that continued, Prompto seemed content to fall into a comfortable sleep, leaning heavily against his Mother as he slept completely relaxed and content.

As the police continued with their questioning Ignis grabbed onto Noctis’s arm as he gently led the boy from the room, motioning for Gladio to follow as he did so.

“What the heck, Iggy?” Noctis asked, still unsure as to why he had just practically been dragged from the room by his advisor. “Is there any reason in particular that we’re all huddled together outside Prompto’s room right now?”

“I’m not sure if it’s anything at all to be honest,” Ignis replied in a hushed voice. “However, I cannot help but get the feeling that Prompto’s parents aren’t being 100% truthful about everything that has happened to them since the incident last Friday.”

“You think they’re lying about what happened to them?” Noctis asked incredulously, the mere thought that Prom’s parents lying about something _this_ important never even having crossed his mind.

“I cannot be certain….” Ignis hummed, lost in thought as he considered everything he had heard since the Argentum’s had begun reciting their personal accounts of how things had played out. “There’s certainly no reason not to trust them… but there are just a few inconsistencies here and there that just don’t make a whole lot of logical sense.”

“Iggy’s right,” Gladio agreed, “Even if they are telling the truth, it would probably be worth it to stay on our toes where they’re concerned, at least until this whole situation has been figured out. Just in case.”

“I still don’t see why you guys are making such a big fuss about this…” Noctis groaned. “I mean sure, Prom’s parents can be a little weird, but that doesn’t mean they’re hiding something… but if it will make you guys happy, I’ll be sure to stay on my guard.”

“That would be wise,” Ignis noted as Gladio nodded in silent agreement. "For Prompto’s sake as well as everyone else’s.”

“Okay… so, can we go back in now?” Noctis asked, a sudden desire to be back in the room, making sure nothing weird was going on, since Ignis and Gladio had succeeded in making him significantly paranoid.

“Yes, we don’t want linger too long and rouse unecessary suspicion. However, before we go back in you must promise me something.” Ignis paused as he looked Noctis straight in the eye and placed a careful hand on his shoulder.

“What is it now?”

“You must make sure that you make no mention of any of this to Prompto.” The taller male replied sternly. “There is absolutely no need to trouble him with such things right now, especially when we are so unsure of what the ultimate truths are in this particular situation We don’t want to create any unecessary turmoil for him while he is in the midst of recovering.”

“I’m not _that_ dense that I would go blab to my best friend that we think his parents are hiding something after he just found out that they’re alive.” Noctis groaned, a little insulted that Ignis had felt it necessary to warn him of such a thing.

“I don’t know…” Gladio laughed. “Never can be too sure of things, especially when it comes to you.”

“You better watch what you say, big guy.” Noctis replied, as he slapped a playful hand on the flat of Gladio’s back. “I might actually think that’s how you really feel.”

“That sounds like a personal problem to me.” Gladio laughed once more as all three of them opened the door and re-entered the hospital room to find Prompto awake and talking softly with his parents; though it was clear that he probably wouldn’t be awake for much longer as Noct could see his eyes already starting to close no matter how hard the blonde fought to keep them open.

The two police officers must have gotten all of the information they needed as they seemed to be saying their goodbyes as Noctis, Ignis and Gladio walked back into the room.

“Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us.” The woman said, taking the time to shake both of the older Argentum’s hands. “If we have any more questions or make any headway with your case, we will be sure to get in contact with you as soon as possible.”

It wasn’t but a few minutes later that Prompto had lost his fight to stay awake and was out cold, a perfectly peaceful expression across his face as he slept.

* * *

 A few hours later, Ignis was in the middle of running back to Noctis’s apartment to prepare suitable meals for everyone, while Gladio had quickly run back to his own house to check on Iris.

So that just left Noctis, (a sleeping) Prompto, and Prompto’s parents in the room.

Noctis would be lying if he didn’t say that it made the atmosphere just ever so slightly awkward. Noctis had met and talked with them on brief occasions, but if one thing was for sure, the Argentums were not ones for idle chit chat; which basically meant that they got to sit in complete silence as Prompto slept soundly in his hospital bed.

Noctis’s attention was suddenly pulled away from the game on his phone as he heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching and lifted his gaze just enough so that he was face to face with none other than Prompto’s mother.

“Excuse me, Prince Noctis?” She started, soft and timid.

“Yeah?” Noctis asked simply.

“I’m afraid that I never properly got the chance to thank you for looking after my son when he first got here and his father and I were… indisposed.” She paused, her tone soft, but thoughtful. “It truly does mean a great deal to me that he has someone in his life that cares for him as much as you do.”

“It’s absolutely no problem at all, Mrs. Argentum.” Noctis smiled honestly as his eyes briefly flashed over towards said blonde, who was still sleeping quietly before returning his focus back to his mother.

“Prompto is…” he paused for a moment thinking of exactly how precisely he could possibly explain all of the intricacies that came with his feelings towards her son. “Well, he’s one of the most important people in my life, so there’s absolutely no other place I’d rather be right now than here, supporting him in any way I can.”

“You’ve done so much more than enough, I don’t think I could ever repay you.” She continued and Noctis was starting to wonder where this conversation was going.

“As I said before, there is absolutely no need to thank me.” Noctis insisted. “I did what I did because I care about Prompto, plain and simple.”

“My husband and I certainly appreciate everything you have done to take care of Prompto in our absence; but we also believe that he would not want you to sacrifice your own health in exchange for his.” Prompto’s mother then took Noct’s hands in her own. “Why don’t you go and eat some proper food and rest tonight and come check on him in the morning? My husband and I will stay here and make sure nothing happens to him. It’s the least we could do to thank you for all you have done.”

It seemed innocent enough, but there was some feeling deep down that had Noctis feeling off about Mrs. Argentum’s offer. Then, Noctis suddenly flashed back to the conversation he had had with Iggy and Gladio a few hours prior. Ignis had urged him to be careful… and it did seem rather convenient that Mrs. Argentum came over to discuss this matter with him only after both Ignis and Gladio had left… so it would probably best to just play things safe for right now.

“I really appreciate the offer Mrs. Argentum, but I’ve gotten everything taken care of.” He replied as casually as possible, even with a genuine smile to finish it off. “Ignis just left to go prepare some food at the apartment. I already talked with him, and he said it wouldn’t be any trouble making and bringing enough food for everyone. As for getting sleep, I have a talent for being able to fall asleep pretty much anywhere, so taking a few power naps in the chairs here are more than enough to keep me ready to go, as long as it means I can stay here with Prom.”

“If you insist,” She replied, her voice full of thinly veiled frustration. “I certainly wouldn’t want to start a national incident by inconveniencing the Crown Prince, when you have put so much time and effort into thinking through all the details.” She laughed awkwardly and Noctis had no choice but to offer a quick grin in an attempt to appease the woman’s awkwardness.

Noctis quickly decided to go back to busying himself with his phone, giving Prompto’s mother no choice but to retreat back over where her husband was sitting next to the window.

Luckily, Ignis arrived back at the room with dinners in hand about fifteen minutes later, passing out food to everyone, while keeping Prompto’s portion packed away so that it would be ready for him to eat whenever he woke up next.

When Prompto did finally rouse himself, Noct couldn’t help but laugh as the other proceeded to shovel down the food in record time; Ignis continually having to remind him that he didn’t need to eat everything in one bite, unless he wanted to make himself sick.

Noctis and Prompto spent the remainder of the night goofing around on their phones, and Noct’s heart couldn’t help but swell at how happy and lively Prom was. It was almost like just another normal night of them hanging out back at his apartment.

This was definitely the way that Prompto always should be; excited and full of life, like Noct’s own personal sun, shining his excitement on everyone around him.

The next few hours seemed to fly by in a flash and before Noct knew it, it was well into the night and he could tell that Prom’s posture was once again starting to sag. His eyelids were falling fast, and Noct couldn’t help but smile as he watched the blonde try to fight the sleep that was slowly taking him over.

Ignis had once again been called out for some important matter at the Citadel that simply could not be avoided and Gladio was busy with matters concerning the Crownsguard, so quite unfortunately Noctis once again found himself alone with Prompto and his parents.

At first, Noctis had been ready to have to endure an awkward night of sitting silently next to his slumbering friend with only his parents to keep him company; but miraculously, right as Prompto had started settling in for the night they started gathering their things, insisting that they would return again in the morning.

“Bye, Mom.” Prompto muttered quietly as his mother placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I’m glad you guys are safe…”

“Me too, darling. We’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

“Mhmm…. kay.” Prompto hummed quietly as he let his eyelids fall closed and sunk further into the pillow he was lying against.

The Argentum’s left and Noct was ready for another _spectacular_ night of trying not to kill his back from sleeping in the hospital chairs, when he felt something pull lightly at his arm.

“Prom…?” Noctis asked, knowing unsure whether it had been an unconscious or deliberate movement, as he had assumed the blonde had already drifted off.

“…”

“Are you in pain? Do you need me to get a doctor?” Noctis asked, wondering what it was that was apparently bothering the blonde enough to keep him from finally surrendering to the beckoning call of a good night’s sleep.

“…um… d-do you think you could… maybe, uhm-” The blonde muttered as Noctis attempted to make sense of what exactly the other was trying to get at. “I just… I know it’s stupid, but…. I’m scared that if I close my eyes, _he’ll_ be there…”

“Do you want me to sleep with you?” Noctis asked earnestly, knowing that if it were any other time, he would probably make a joke about Prompto trying to get him into bed, but it obvious by how Prompto’s eyes were darting around and refusing to meet his own, that this was something that must have really bothering him and Noct wasn’t about to make light of it.

Prompto nodded sheepishly, continuing to avoid the other’s gaze, though Noct paid it no mind. He was certainly not about to pass up the chance to be able to sleep in an actual bed in lieu of the awkward and uncomfortable visitor chairs in the room, especially if it meant that he could do so with Prompto right next to him.

Again, if it had been in any other situation, this was a situation that Noctis could have only dreamed of.

After all, it didn’t take long for raven-haired youth to realize he had fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend, and ever since that moment, he always savored every touch and every moment he was lucky enough to spend with the other.

Right now, though? As he climbed into the hospital bed and hugged Prompto close to him, he could almost imagine that they were together, and that they were simply falling asleep in each other’s arms after an exhausting day of school and video games. He knew that this was probably only ever going to be a one-time thing because Prompto was feeling scared and vulnerable, but that still didn’t mean he wasn’t going to savor every moment while he could.

After Prompto was released from the hospital, things would probably go back to normal and they would simply go back to being best friends and nothing more. And yet, that didn’t stop Noct from hoping that maybe someday… maybe someday he might build up the courage to reveal his feelings and hope it didn’t cause him to lose the only true friend he ever had.

* * *

 Noctis wasn’t sure what it was, that seemed to pull him from his sleep and dreams of what could never be, but he quickly found himself pulled back into awareness with the overwhelming feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

Noctis had absolutely no idea how much time had passed since both he and Prompto had first fallen asleep, but judging by the lack of light coming from the large window near the bed, it couldn’t have been too long.

It was almost pitch black in the room, with the only light reflecting softly off the moon and the street lamps in the parking lot below; but even in such low light, it wasn’t hard to realize that he and Prompto were not alone.

At first Noctis’s heart started racing, wondering who the hell was lurking around Prompto’s room in the middle of the night, and was only able to calm himself down when he finally recognized the figure as none other than Prompto’s mother.

This revelation certainly allowed Noctis to relax, but the question still remained as to why she had returned to her son’s hospital room so unexpectedly in the middle of the night. It could be something as simple as she forgot something after she left earlier with her husband and was simply coming back to retrieve it. Or, it could be for some other reason that Noctis was still yet unaware of.

Noctis tried to think about what Iggy might do in this kind of situation… he would honestly be most likely to sit back and observe, watch what was happening and try to collect as much information as possible before coming to a final decision on how to act.

So, that was exactly what Noctis decided to do. He would watch and wait and if it turned out to be something as harmless as Prompto’s mom grabbing something and leaving, Noctis would be able to simply go back to sleep and forget this whole thing ever happened.

Over the years, Noctis was grateful that he had been able to hone his ability to fake sleeping in an effort to circumvent having to work on unpleasant and unwanted citadel work; so he had gotten pretty damn good at it. If he could fake his way past someone like Ignis, then this should be a cake walk.

Everything was all well and good as Prompto’s mother milled about, wandering around the room slowly before finally making her way over toward where he and Prompto were curled up against one another.

Noctis had initially been under the assumption that she might come be coming over to kiss her son goodnight or something else to that effect, however alarm bells definitely started going off once he realized she wasn’t coming over to the bed, but instead seemed much more interested in fiddling around with the machines and wires that were in charge of monitoring Prompto’s vitals and the IV which was currently being used to make sure the blonde was supplied with all his important fluids and medicine.

The thing that shook Noctis to the core however, was when Prompto’s mother pulled a large syringe filled with some unidentified liquid that she clearly was intending on injecting into one of Prompto’s IV tubes.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Noctis demanded in a low whisper, seamlessly summoning a small dagger from his armiger and pointing it straight at the woman next to him; all while making sure not to move or jostle the side of his body which was still cradling Prompto, so as not to wake him.

Obviously not having expected the young prince to have been conscious, let alone watching her every move, Prompto’s mother nearly fell to the floor in surprise. Noctis really had to give it to her though, because once she managed to catch her breath, she looked innocently over at him, frowning deeply as she did so.

“I just hate seeing my baby in so much pain…” She replied sadly, “I couldn’t stop thinking about it ever since we left earlier tonight. After a while, I simply couldn’t take it anymore and I may have convinced one of the nurses to allow me to up his dosage for the night.”

Noctis would have laughed long and hard if he wasn’t so concerned about rousing the boy cradled in his arms.

“You can’t seriously expect me to believe that… does it look like I was born yesterday?” Noctis scoffed, refusing to take his eyes off the syringe still grasped tightly between the woman’s fingers, ready to release his dagger if she so much as twitched.

The woman however, continued to stare in utter disbelief, as though she actually believed the drivel that was coming out of her own mouth.

“I would also like to remind you of precisely who it is that you’re talking to…” Noctis added, when Prompto’s mother continued to remain silent. “You don’t really want to continue to lie so blatantly to your own Crown Prince, do you? I have the power to make sure you never see the light of day again, so you better think carefully about what you say next.”

Almost instantly, her innocent guise dropped and Noct finally saw the woman’s true emotions as the two of them continued to stare each other down.

“Oh, my sincerest apologies, _your highness_ …” she breathed, her eyes flickering between the two boys right in front of her. “I’m simply finished what should have been done a long time ago.” There was a malicious glint in the woman’s eye that Noctis had never seen in anyone; and then, without warning, she brandished the syringe in her one hand and lunged.

The woman was fast, but – thank the astrals – Noctis was faster. In the span of a split second, Noctis pulled Prompto harshly towards him and dove to cover the blonde exposed form as much as he possibly could, while also instantaneously throwing his dagger so that it hit the syringe, causing it to fall to the floor with a loud clatter.

Once Noctis was sure that the syringe was out of play, he practically leapt up from where he had been shielding Prompto, dismissing his dagger while simultaneously summoning his engine blade. Once he had his engine blade, Noctis wasted no time in forcing the blade to rest mere inches from the woman’s throat as she lay on the ground after having been knocked down when Noct had thrown his dagger to disarm her.

“Don’t fucking move, or I swear to Shiva I will run you through right here and now.” Noctis hissed, ready to rid the world of this pathetic excuse of a mother.

“Noct….?” A very worried and confused voice sounded from behind where Noctis was standing.

“What… what’s going on?” There was a mixture of sleep and confusion mixing together as Prompto attempted to clear his jumbled mind enough to try and figure out what in the hell was going on.

“Stay back, Prom.” Noctis ordered carefully, knowing that this was not going to be easy to explain. Noctis really would have preferred to have been able to have everything resolve before Prompto had woken up, but he also knew because of his sudden, drastic movements to defend Prompto from his mother’s attack, that it was inevitable Prom would be woken up.

“You still have that card that the lady cop gave us earlier?” Noctis asked quickly.

“Yeah…”

“Grab my phone off the nightstand and call her. And then call Iggy and Gladio too. Tell them they need to get here ASAP.”

“But Noct-”

“I promise I’ll explain, but I really need you to make those calls first, okay?” Noctis finished, refusing to take his eyes off the woman beneath his blade. She was no longer armed, but that didn’t mean that she was completely harmless.

Prompto, while still incredibly confused and having no idea what the hell was going on, but seeing Noct as serious as he was, did as he was asked.

It was only once he put down Noct’s phone and looked back over towards his best friend that something in his brain seemed to click and he realized who exactly it was that Noct was threatening with his sword.

“Mom…?” he gaped before quickly adding, “Noct? Stop! What the hell are you doing?? That’s my-”

“I know.” Noctis quickly replied, cutting him off quickly as Prompto felt his stomach drop and a surge of fear sweep through his entire body. “She tried to hurt you; and I don’t care who she is, I’m not going to let her get away with it.”

“But that’s ridiculous Noct,” Prompto insisted. “I know she hasn’t always been there for me, but she would never-”

“Then why did I wake up just now to see her try and inject something into your IV?” Noct shot back, as Prompto’s face completely froze and Noct knelt down, his engine blade not moving an inch as he proceeded to pick up the syringe that was lying only a foot or so away from his feet. “I know it’s hard to believe, and I sure as hell didn’t want you to find out this way; but I swear to the Astrals, I’m telling you the truth. You know I would never lie to you about something like this.”

“M-Mom….?” Prompto managed to choke out, wishing desperately that this was all just horrible nightmare, “W-What’s… g-going on…?”

“Well, I guess that cat’s out of the bag now, isn’t it?” The woman sneered as she finally let the last of her mask drop, leaving her disappointment and frustration for all to see. “I don’t even know what your father and I were thinking all those years ago when we agreed to allow a _Niff_ , of all people to live under our roof-”

“Shut your damned mouth!” Noctis shouted, unable to believe the vile and hateful things spewing from the woman’s mouth. “How dare you talk to him like that-” Before freezing all of a sudden as something that she said seemed to finally catch up to his brain. “Wait… what do you mean you let a _Niff_ live in your house?”

The mother smiled a deep grin of satisfaction, which was a perfect parallel to the look of absolute horror now full and unbridled on Prompto’s own face. “Oh, that’s right….” She grinned. “You don’t know what that boy really is do you?”

“Mom, don’t! Please… you can’t!” Prompto shouted desperately. If Noct found out… then there would be no way Noct would ever want to see Prompto again. He just couldn’t lose his parents AND his best friend all in one night.

However, it would seem as though Prompto’s prayers would go unanswered as the woman on the floor laughed and continued on without a single shred of remorse.

“Your precious friend…? Oh, he’s nothing more than filthy Niff.” She laughed. “And he’s not just any run of the mill Niff no… he was found in a top secret Niflheim lab by one of the Kingsglaive when he was just a baby. That boy over there is nothing but a failed science experiment from the country that you and your father so openly despise. If you need proof, all you need to do is look at his right wrist and you will find the barcode the scientists gave him when he was born.”

That was it. Prompto’s life was officially over. He had gone from having parents that he thought had loved him and having a better best friend than he ever deserved to losing all of them in one fell swoop.

Or at least, that was what Prompto thought, until he heard a voice break through all the worries and anxiety clouding his brain.

“You think that something stupid and insignificant like where Prompto was born is going to change the way I feel about him??” Noct practically shouted. “Well, I’m here to tell you that you are DEAD WRONG. Prompto is Prompto and that’s all that matters.”

Prompto could scarcely believe the words that were coming out of Noct’s mouth. How was it that Noct could accept him so easily? This was something that Prompto would not have believed even in his wildest dreams, but here it was, staring him straight in the face.

Now it was the woman beneath Noct’s sword’s turn to look surprised. The prince hadn’t so much as hesitated once he learned the truth. It was a bit of an anticlimactic conclusion to their whole altercation to say the least, seeing as she had just used the biggest trump card in her possession and had absolutely nothing to show for it.

Noct simply continued to hold her down, despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to run over and comfort Prompto, who was obviously still confused and very upset by everything that had just happened.

However, Noct knew that he was the only one capable right now of making sure that this horrible excuse for a woman didn’t get a chance to try anything funny until the cops arrived to take her to the police station, so that was what he did.

Prompto was pretty much a complete wreck the entire time the cops were processing the scene and preparing to take the woman back to the station so that they could officially charge her.

He was devastated because of how his mother wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, but at the same time overwhelmed with the idea that Noct had found out his secret and it hadn’t driven him off like Prompto always feared it would. In fact, it only seemed to draw Noctis closer to him.

What the boys would find out later once the police had interrogated both the woman and her husband was that not only did they secretly come to despise their son because of his Niflheim birth, but they had been in fact the masterminds behind the whole ordeal back at the house.

They were surprisingly open when the cops started asking questions and seemed perfectly happy to reveal all their plans and give up any and all information, even going so far as to reveal the identity of the hitman they had hired, because they sure as hell weren’t going to let him get away clean, especially since he didn’t even finish the job properly.

It seemed that something had just snapped and the Argentums suddenly decided that they no longer wished to continue sheltering ‘a damned Niff’ in their house. They had considered just having the boy simply disappear, but they also knew that Prompto had become very close with the Crown Prince, who would certainly notice if he disappeared, and wouldn’t rest until he found him.

They also knew that no matter where they decided hide him, they would stand no chance at keeping his location hidden from the overwhelming force that was the Royal Crownsguard.

They finally decided that they would have to come up with a way to rid themselves of the boy, while also maintaining their good image and making it look like a horribly tragic accident.

Their plan had been absolutely foolproof… or at least it _had been_ , if they hadn’t slightly miscalculated with the hitman that they had hired. While the Argentums were well aware that Prompto had recently started training with the Crownsguard; they were absolutely NOT aware of the fact that Noctis had given Prompto access to his armiger.

It was because of that specific reason that Prompto had been able to the crystal’s magic, utilizing the skills that he had learned during his Crownsguard training to surprise the hitman and defend himself as he did.

That one small unexpected change had been the only fault in an otherwise perfect plan, but it was apparently just enough of a change to make all the difference.

If all had gone to plan, Prompto’s parents would have escaped from their captors, just to run back to their house in time to learn of their son’s untimely passing. And that would have been it. They would have been free; free of their abomination of a son for good.

When the Argentums had gotten word however, that their son had not passed as they had expected, they knew that they couldn’t just all those loose ends hanging.

It didn’t take long to figure out which hospital their son had been taken to… although when they did arrive another unexpected roadblock appeared in the form the ever-persistent best friend and Crown Prince of Lucis, Noctis Lucis Caelum.

The Argentums knew very well that they wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything while the young prince and his retainers were sniffing around, so they would simply have to play along with the part of the concerned and loving parents until an opportunity presented itself and they would be able to finish the job that they had started. However, when it was clear that the young prince did not plan on leaving his friend alone anytime soon, they soon decided they would need to get a little bit more creative with how they would complete their goal, hence the plan with the syringe, which luckily due to the Prince’s diligence was ultimately foiled.

After learning the truth of the whole situation, Noctis was just sorry that he hadn’t killed the despicable woman when he had the chance.

Prompto was absolutely beside himself with grief at learning the truth and to be honest, Noct couldn’t blame him. It was one thing to have someone intentionally try and kill you. It was another thing entirely to have that same person be someone that was supposed to love and protect you beyond all things.

* * *

 “What am I going to do, Noct?” Prompto moaned pitifully as he lay with his head resting on Noct’s chest, the tear tracks still fresh from his most recent sobbing fit. “I’ll be the first to admit that they weren’t the best parents in the world. They could be pretty cold and distant, but I never thought in my wildest nightmares that they felt so strongly… that I… that they…”

“You don’t have to say it, Prom,” Noctis replied comfortingly as he was combing his fingers lightly through Prom’s hair. “Cause it’s not true.”

“They did though!” Prompto countered loudly as he grasped the fabric of Noct’s shirt tightly, praying that he wasn’t about to start crying again, although at this point he wasn’t even sure if he had any tears left to cry.

“They were they only family I’ve ever know… and even they were disgusted by the mere thought of being in the same house as me…” He continued, his voice now as quiet as a whisper before finishing with a soft, “They were right about one thing though… I’m a freak of nature. I was born for the sole purpose of being a guinea pig for some Niff scientists. I should probably just accept that it would be impossible for anyone to love a Niff like me…”

“You’re wrong…!” Noctis exclaimed, unable to hold himself back. He couldn’t possibly allow Prompto to believe such fabrications… especially when it 100% wasn’t true.

“Have you completely forgotten everything my mom said as we were waiting for the police to show up last night??? And how both she and my father were more than happy to tell the police everything they had planned!?” Prompto’s voice suddenly increased until he was practically shouting in sheer frustration, sitting up so that he could look Noct right in the eye, so the other could see how adamant he was. “They tried to have me KILLED. THAT’s how much my parents loved me, Noct.”

“That’s not who I’m talking about-” Noctis started to reply, before being cut off.

“Who the hell else is there, Noct?” Prompto shot back. “Go on, tell me, I’m all ears..!”

“Uh, me….?” Noct practically whispered before he had a chance to stop himself; and it was those two words that had Prompto freeze right in his tracks. His eyes and mouth open wide, sure that he must have misheard.

“…w-what?” Prompto finally managed force out between his lips. “I-Is that supposed to be some kind of joke…?”

“No.” Noctis replied, before quickly adding, “But if that like, freaks you out or whatever, then just forget it and I hope that we can still be-”

Before Noctis had a chance to continue his nervous rambling, he suddenly saw a flash of blonde hair, and a pair of lips press up against his own, freezing for just a moment as his brain attempted to ascertain whether or not this was actually happening, or if he had suddenly started hallucinating.

But no, Noct was pretty damn certain that he wasn’t dreaming and Prompto was definitely kissing him.

So Noct did the one thing that he had been wanting to do practically since the day he met Prompto and kissed him right back.

It was one of the single best moments of his life and Noct never wanted it to end. He would have been perfectly happy for the world to continue moving on around them as he stayed right here kissing the boy he loved.

“Wow.” Noctis breathed, as the two of them finally broke apart and continued to be content gazing into each other’s eyes.

“Yeah,” Prompto agreed as he couldn’t but start grinning madly. “Definitely wow.”

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” Noctis laughed as he quickly pressed another kiss on the top of the Prompto’s forehead. Now that he had gotten a taste of kissing the blonde, he never wanted to stop.

“Same here.” Prompto continued to grin as he returned Noct’s kisses, but this time placing his kisses lightly against Noct’s exposed neck.

There were a few seconds of silence before Prompto spoke up once more.

“So, um…” He started to mutter. “What now?”

“What now, what?”

“Well, um… what’s going to happen once I get released?” Prompto asked, his face thoughtful, yet Noct could sense the underlying anxiety.

“Like with us or…?”

“I don’t know if I can go back to my house after all this…” Prompto muttered sadly. “With the whole attack and the fact that even though I know my parents won’t be there… it’s still _their_ house. I can’t say I ever felt like I belonged there, but now it just seems like nothing but a reminder of how much of an outsider I am.”

“Oh…” Noctis said as he finally realized what it was that had Prompto so nervous. “Well, if you don’t wanna go back to your house, you’re always welcome to come stay at my apartment. I mean, you just about live there already anyway.” The young prince finished with a small chuckle.

“Man, you sure know how to move things along, Noct.” Prompto laughed. “We only just kissed and now you’re already inviting me to move in with you?”

“If you’re going to be a dork about it, I can always rescind my invitation…” Noct moped as Prompto couldn’t help but laugh.

“Awnnn… comon Noct…! No need to be such a sourpuss.” Prompto giggled in feigned concern, before his face quickly became serious once more. “But seriously though… I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble…”

“You know that if it involves you Prom, it’s never a bother.” Noctis replied assuredly. “No matter what we might face now or in the future, we’ll face it together. I swear I’ll do my best to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

“Thanks, Noct.” Prompto replied, as he went to steal yet another kiss from the raven-haired boy’s lips, sinking back down so that he could lay his head back down on Noct’s lap and drift off to sleep. He finally realized it didn’t matter how his sorry excuse for parents might feel, because the only person he ever needed to love him was sitting right next to him.

* * *

 Compared to the excitement of the first few days that Prompto had been admitted to the hospital, the next few weeks were pretty uneventful.

The cops would check in every few days and update Prompto on what was happening with his case; but since his parent’s confession, things were progressing pretty seamlessly.

His parents were sent to separate maximum-security prisons across the city from each other; and the police had even managed to apprehend the hitman Prompto’s parents had hired, making sure that he would receive similar treatment.

All the while, Noctis was adamant to make sure that he was there to support Prompto through everything. That included making sure Prompto had somewhere to go once he was finally released from the hospital.

Just as he had promised before, Noctis insisted the blonde come live with him at his apartment and Prompto certainly wasn’t about to argue.

“Are we there yet…?” Prompto complained tiredly as he, Noctis, Ignis and Gladio all waited for the elevator to reach the top floor of the apartment building where Noctis lived. “It feels like we’ve been walking forever.”

“We’re just about there, don’t worry.” Noctis laughed as he helped support his quickly wilting boyfriend so he didn’t lose his balance and accidently fall.

Soon after, the elevator chimed lightly as the car the boys were in arrived at the desired floor and then it was just a short walk down the hallway until they arrived at Noct’s apartment.

Seeing as Noct had his hands full keeping Prompto up on his feet, Ignis quickly unlocked and held the door open so that everyone could easily make their way inside.

“And we’re home.” Noctis smiled as they finally crossed the threshold and Prompto couldn’t help but smile at the statement, trying to wrap his head around the fact that he actually would be able to live here with Noct, never having to worry about having to go back to his family house ever again.

“Thanks, Noct.” he smiled softly. “Man, I am so over being tired all the time…”

“Well you did just get out of the hospital, so I feel like that’s pretty much to be expected.” Noctis chuckled as he started to gently guide the blonde towards his bedroom. “I could definitely go for a quick nap while Iggy starts to prepare dinner, how about you?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Prompto muttered in reply. “Though I feel like I’ve been doing nothing _but_ sleeping for the past few weeks.”

“Yeah, and…?”

“Well you’re the king of naps, so of course you wouldn’t understand… but you know, for _some people_ we actually like staying active and doing things with our life.” Prompto joked, unable to stop himself from chuckling softly when he saw the playful frown on the other’s face.

“What…? Being _productive_ …? And actually, _doing stuff_? What kind of crazy talk is that?” Noctis replied in an overly dramatic voice. “Well anyway, I think you might change your mind once we get into my room.”

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” Prompto asked curiously as Noct opened the door and he was met with a sight that he had definitely not been expecting.

Right on Noct’s bed was probably the biggest pile of stuffed chocobos that Prompto had ever seen.

There were so many that he wasn’t even sure he would properly be able to count them all and they ranged in size from being small enough fit in his palm, to a huge, round stuffed choco-chick.

“What… the heck….?” Prompto managed to breath out, still stunned by the sight before him. “Noct… what’s all this for?”

“Well… I wanted to celebrate you finally getting out of the hospital and well, I figured you could use a little pick me up after everything…”

“Wait-” Prompto suddenly cut in. “Are you seriously telling me that these are all for me?”

“Well yeah, I-”

“Is this real?” Prompto asked, still clearly unable to process the fact that Noct might have gone so far out of his way to do all this, just for him. “Noct, are you sure I didn’t actually die and go to heaven? Cause that’s the only reason that I could possibly be surrounded by all these adorable and soft chocobo plushies…”

“Can I take that as confirmation that you like them?” Noctis grinned, happy that Prompto was as excited as he was.

“Uh, yeah dude.” Prompto replied, “This is freaking amazing… I’m kind of speechless to be honest.”

Just as Noct helped Prompto get over and onto the bed so that he could start hugging _all_ of the stuffed chocobos Noct had gotten him Gladio entered the room. He then proceeded to let out a huge, bellowing laugh as he watched Prompto practically drown himself in all of his new chocobo friends.

“So, on the news when they announce that someone has gone and bought out all of the stuffed chocobos in the entire Crown City, I guess I’ll know who the culprit is.” Gladio snickered loudly.

“I didn’t buy out _all_ of Insomnia…” Noctis replied quickly. “I just wasn’t sure which one Prompto would like the most… so to be safe I just got them all.”

“Oh, that’s how it is, is it?” The shield continued to tease as he slapped Noctis lightly on the shoulder. “Well that just makes _perfect_ sense. Glad you could be sensible about it, at least.” He winked as Gladio couldn’t help but continuing to laugh at the young prince’s expense.

“Yeah. Ha Ha… you’re _so_ funny.” Noctis replied quickly. “It worked though, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it definitely worked alright.” Gladio grinned as he watched the blonde finally make his way to the largest stuffed choco-chick and hug it tightly to his chest as he buried his face into the plush material, his expression a picture of absolute contentment. “But what are you gonna do now? I’m pretty sure you’ve just been replaced.”

“Yeah, says you…” Noct shot back playfully as he purposefully made his way over to the bed where Prompto had now started to fall asleep completely surrounded by all his new stuffed chocobos.

Making sure that he didn’t accidentally cause any of the chocobos to fall, Noct carefully slid into the bed so that he was lying right next to where Prompto was currently curled up using the large chocobo plush he had been hugging.

Despite the fact that Prompto was already practically half-asleep, once he realized Noct had joined him, the blonde’s body instantly started gravitating towards the other until he was curled up against Noct in such a way that he was also able to keep a tight hold of the stuffed chocobo chick he had been cuddling with.

There was a moment of silence as Noctis smirked in Gladio’s direction before returning his attention to the boy sleeping peacefully beside him.

This was definitely a feeling Noct could get used to. His heart swelling with affection as he started to run his fingers carefully through the soft strands of his boyfriend's hair.

“Welcome home, Prom.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated. :)
> 
> Come hang with me on tumblr? ^-^ [ever-at-your-side-15](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ever-at-your-side-15)


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